The relationship between length and width of plutons within the crustal-scale Cobequid Shear Zone, northern Appalachians, Canada

The lengths and widths have been measured for 69 component bodies of composite plutons along the Cobequid Shear Zone. Plutons on major fault strands, those with mylonite zones >0.1 km wide, exhibit evidence of multiple intrusion of magma batches. Small plutons along short faults in stepover zones appear related to rapid emplacement of magma in bodies 1.5–4 km long by 0.1–2 km wide. Such small plutons show low enrichment in incompatible elements in older component bodies, but increasing amounts in younger bodies as a result of progressive magma expulsion from crystal mush during crystallization and shear-enhanced compaction in fault zones. Wider plutons generally occur along longer fault strands accommodating more strain and penetrating deeper into the crust and show enrichment in incompatible elements. The width of the mylonitic fault zone is about 15% of the width of these plutons. The length-to-width ratio of component bodies and composite plutons varies between 2 and 11. The best-fit line describing these data has a slope of 1.056, which implies scaling behavior between plutonism and tectonic processes. Scalar properties of plutonic bodies are similar to those of faults, but scalar relationships observed in component bodies do not apply to composite plutons.     

Deformational behaviour of continental lithosphere deduced from block rotations across the North Anatolian fault zone in Turkey

Theoretical considerations of lithosphere deformation across transform plate boundaries predict an expression in terms of 3istributed deformation. The magnitude of rotation is expected to diminish away from the fault zone in a way which depends on the length of the fault, the amount of displacement, and the ductility of the lithosphere. Palaeomagnetic studies across the North Anatolian transform fault zone, which separates the Eurasian Plate and Anatolian Block in northern Turkey, show that clockwise rotations predicted from the sense of dextral motion are indeed present and have attained finite rotations of up to 270° during the 5 Ma history of Neotectonic deformation. Such rotations are, however, confined to narrow ( 10 km wide) zones between system-bounding faults and appear to have resulted from rotation in ball-bearing fashion of equidimensional blocks a few kilometres in size. Outside of this zone only anticlockwise rotations are observed; these are unrelated to deformation across the fault zone and record regional anticlockwise rotation of Turkey which is complementing clockwise rotation of Greece and accompanying Neogene opening of the Aegean Sea. The observed behaviour of continental lithosphere satisfies no plausible value of power law behaviour. We therefore conclude that relative motion across this transform boundary occurs as a discrete zone of intense deformation within a brittle layer comprising the seismogenic upper crust. This is presumed to be detached from a continuum deformation response to shearing in the lower crust and mantle beneath.     

Geochemistry of ferromanganese nodules from DOMES site a,Northern Equatorial Pacific: Multiple diagenetic metal sources in the deep sea

The major and minor element composition of ferromanganese nodules from DOMES Site A has been determined by X-ray fluorescence methods. Three phases appear to control the bulk compositions: Mn and Fe oxyhydroxides and aluminosilicates. Relatively wide compositional variations are evident throughout the area. Nodules with high Mn/Fe ratios, high Cu, Mg, Mo, Ni and Zn concentrations and high todorokite/δ-MnO₂ ratios have granular surface textures and are confined to an east-west trending depression with thin Quaternary sediment cover. Nodules with low Mn/Fe ratios, high concentrations of As, Ca, Ce, Co, La, P, Sr, Ti, V, Y and Zr and low todorokite/δ-MnO₂ ratios have smooth surfaces and are confined to shallower areas with relatively thick Quaternary sediment to the north and south of the depression.All nodules in the area have compositions which are influenced by diagenesis, but those with the most marked diagenetic signature (high Mn/Fe and Cu/Ni ratios, low Ce/La ratios and more todorokite) are found in areas of very slow or non-existent sedimentation; many of these nodules are actually in contact with outcropping Tertiary sediment. This paradox may be resolved by postulating, by analogy with some shallow-water occurrences, that the nodules accrete from bottom waters which have enhanced particulate and dissolved metal contents derived from diagenetic reaction in areas remote from the site of nodule formation. The metals are supplied in a bottom flow (probably Antarctic Bottom Water) which also erodes, or prevents modern sedimentation in, the depression. Nodules on the flanks of the depression are not evidently affected by this flow and derive at least pan of their constituent metals from diagenetic reaction in the underlying Quaternary sediment.Apparently, abyssal diagenetic nodules can have an immediate and a remote diagenetic metal source. Metal fluxes derived from pore water dissolved metal gradients may not be relevant to particular accreting nodules if a significant fraction of their metals is derived from outside the area in which they form.     

Outcrop-scale acoustic facies analysis and latest Quaternary development of Hueneme and Dume submarine fans, offshore California

The uppermost Quaternary deposits of the Hueneme and Dume submarine fans in the Santa Monica Basin have been investigated using a closed-spaced grid of boomer seismic-reflection profiles, which give vertical resolution of a few tens of centimetres with acoustic penetration to 50 m. Acoustic facies integrated with geometry define six architectural elements, some with discrete subelements that are of a scale that can be recognized in outcrops of ancient turbidite systems. In the Santa Monica Basin, the relationship of these elements to fan morphology, stratigraphy and sediment source is precisely known.
The width of upper Hueneme fan valley has been reduced from 5 km since the last glacial maximum to 1 km at present by construction of laterally confined sandy levees within the main valley. The middle fan comprises three main subelements: thick sand deposits at the termination of the fan valley, low-gradient sandy lobes typically 5 km long and < 10 m thick, and scoured lobes formed of alternating sand and mud beds with many erosional depressions. The site of thickest lobe sediment accumulation shifts through time, with each sand bed deposited in a previous bathymetric low (i.e. compensation cycles). The lower fan and basin plain consists of sheet-like alternations of sand and mud with shallow channels and lenses.
Variations in the rate of late Quaternary sea level rise initiated changes in sediment facies distribution. At lowstand, and during the approximately 11 ka stillstand in sea level, the Hueneme Fan was fed largely by hyperpycnal flow from the Santa Clara River delta, depositing high sediment waves on the right hand levee and thick sandy lobes on the middle fan. At highstand of sea level, most turbidity currents were generated by failure of silty prodelta muds. In contrast, the smaller Dume Fan was apparently always fed from littoral drift of sand through a single-canyon point source.